A Road Trip with a side of Murder
by Aingeal98
Summary: "Where are we going?" she asked at last. "South." Armin replied. In which four teenagers murder a teacher, flee military school and somehow find a way to live life as wanted fugitives while driving around in a white van.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story won't make sense unless you know who Historia is. If you don't, I'd recommend reading the manga before you start reading this.**

"Oh God." she said. "Oh my God. Oh."

Beside her, Eren was breathing heavily, blood spattered across his face. There was wildness in his eyes that terrified her. Currently, they were all staring at the dead body on the floor, but she couldn't shake the feeling that if he looked up and caught her eye he'd lunge at her like he had at-

There was a knife in his hand, but there was more blood on his fingers than on the knife itself. There was blood matted in his hair and sweat on his face. He reached up with a shaking hand to wipe the sweat off and left bloody smears across his forehead.

She was shaking too, she noticed.

Compared to her and Eren, Mikasa was incredibly calm. While Eren was shaking and panting, Mikasa was steady, her breathing even. The only hint that something was wrong was the bloody syringe in her hand. It was a stark contrast to Eren's manic trembling.

Mikasa was the first one to fully look away from the butchered corpse on the ground.

"Krista."

She kept staring at the body of her maths teacher. Her maths teacher who had tried to strangle her minutes ago, for reasons she still didn't fully understand.

"Krista."

She could hear Mikasa, but she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge her. Acknowledging Mikasa would mean that all this was real, and that wasn't something she was ready to accept.

"_Historia."_

Historia's head snapped up. Mikasa was staring at her in concern. The syringe she had used to slit the dead man's throat was still dripping. Historia felt like throwing up.

"Historia, can you tell Armin that it's over? We're going to need to escape."

_Escape. _Why escape? Historia was still too numb to think about it, but she could follow an order. Almost two years of military school had taught her that much. She put one foot in front of the other and slowly made her way to the fire exit. Behind her, she could hear Mikasa talking softly to Eren. Historia could hear some of what she was saying, but the words meant nothing to her.

Armin was waiting outside, leaning against the wall. He straightened when Historia pushed the door open.

"Is it over?"

She nodded.

"Levi's dead." The words felt strange on her tongue, false. Eren and Mikasa were just teenagers. They shouldn't have won that fight.

Armin nodded, like he had expected that all along. He probably had, otherwise he would have brought more than just Mikasa to help. He stared at her with the same type of sympathy she'd seen in Mikasa.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." he said gently.

She could have told him that it wasn't the first time someone had been killed in front of her, because of her. But there was no point. She knew she was in shock, and Armin clearly was not. That should have worried her. His two best friends had just murdered a teacher and he wasn't even shaken.

"I'm guessing we need to leave, fast?"

She nodded. _Leave._ Could she leave? She'd been sent here to die, that much she understood. Her father had been kind, allowing her a noble death in the military instead of slitting her throat in an alley like he'd done to her mother. She was supposed to stay here until she graduated into the military, and then die a martyr. Running away had never been an option.

Except now it seemed like it was her only option. Run before the others realized what had happened. Run away with these three classmates who she barely knew. Run… run where?

Armin was talking again. She forced herself to listen, to understand what his words meant.

"They won't be expecting us back in the dorms for a while. Mikasa knocked the nurse unconscious though, so we best hurry. There's no point trying to hide the body, there were too many witnesses earlier. Tell them to climb out the window in Marco's room. I'll hotwire a car and meet them outside, ok Krista?"

"I… yeah. I'll tell them."

He smiled again, and there was nothing cheery about it. Gently, as if she was going to fall apart, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You best go now. If everything goes well I'll see you in a few minutes." He gave her a small push towards the door. "Now go. Eren's probably calmed down by now. Remember, the window in Marco's room. One of the bars is loose."

She started walking again, listening as Armin's hurried footsteps grew faint. Pushing open the door, she walked inside, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the corpse. It hadn't been a clean death at all, and blood was sprayed all over the floor and the tables, something she was sure Levi would hate.

If he was still alive.

Eren had calmed down considerably and he greeted Historia with an even voice, something that scared her even more. Only minutes ago he had been stabbing a man to death while screaming at the top of his lungs, and now he was acting as if he had done nothing but stub his toe. Mikasa was cleaning the worst of the blood off of him when Historia walked in.

"Historia, right? Or do you still want me to call you Krista?" She didn't reply. "What did Armin say?"

"He's getting a car ready." She was surprised by her own steady voice, but perhaps that was due to the shock. "He said to use Marco and Connie's window to get out. One of the bars is loose."

"Alright then." Eren said, sounding as determined as he did during their close combat training. "Let's go Mikasa!"

He ran to the door, and Mikasa followed. She paused and looked back once she realized that Historia hadn't moved.

"Are you coming?"

Historia turned and followed them, trying not to think about the dead body they were leaving in the room. Someone was going to come in and find Levi's corpse, and it would probably be incredibly traumatic for them. She should have cared, but she wasn't ready to feel anything yet, let alone guilt.

The kept their heads low and their footsteps quiet as they made their way through the school halls and up to the dormitories. Eren lead them, only changing his course when Mikasa muttered an instruction at him. Historia stayed a step or two behind, still not sure why she was following them. Escape implied freedom, and Historia didn't know if she wanted that. She didn't know if she wanted anything at all. Krista wanted to help people and to serve her country, but Krista wasn't real. Was Historia a real person anymore? Had she ever been?

They made their way into the boys' dorm without seeing anyone other than Daz, who scuttled out of their way once he saw the look in Eren and Mikasa's eyes. Historia didn't know how she looked. She felt numb, so maybe her eyes reflected that. It didn't matter anyway. She was never going to see any of them again.

Eren barged into Marco's room, letting out a sigh of relief when he realized it was empty. Marco was probably down in the dining hall, and Connie was probably getting yelled at by Shadis. Both beds were neatly made, which meant that they probably wouldn't be back for a while, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered.

Mikasa walked over to the window and gave an experimental tug on all of the bars. Then she grabbed one and wrenched hard, and it came loose. It took seven blows for the lock on the window to smash, and Eren grew more and more impatient. When it finally broke he shoved past Mikasa and pushed the window open, easing himself out onto the ledge.

"Eren be careful!" He had already dropped before Mikasa was even finished.

Historia watched as Mikasa shook her head. She didn't seem too annoyed by Eren's recklessness. It was legendary amongst the cadets, even those who had never met him, so perhaps she was used to it. Historia walked over to the window and looked down. They were only on the second floor, but it still looked like a long way to fall. Mikasa gave Historia a look, scrutinizing her petite frame.

"Can you jump?" Mikasa asked.

She hesitated, before nodding. Mikasa was clearly not convinced.

"There's no point being brave. If you twist your ankle you'll slow us all down. I'll go first, so that I can catch you." She paused, giving Historia another evaluating look. Historia still didn't know what Mikasa was learning from them.

"Is there anyone that you want to say goodbye to?"

A lot of people were friendly with Krista Lenz. Historia shook her head.

Mikasa slipped out onto the ledge and dropped down with all the grace Eren had lacked. Historia climbed out and tried to ignore her shaking limbs. It wasn't like she could go back. Despite living in the same dorm, Historia barely knew Mikasa, yet she had no choice but to trust her. Her life as Krista was crumbling down around her, and these three teenagers were the only thing providing any kind of steadiness.

She pushed off, and for a second she was falling. Then she landed with a jolt in Mikasa's arms, who didn't bother putting her down before jogging after Eren.

Eren skidded to a halt at the corner of the street, swivelling his head around violently.

"Where is he?" he whispered angrily when they caught up. "He said he was getting a car, right?"

Before she could reply, they heard the roar of an engine. A white van screeched to a halt beside them, Armin at the wheel. He didn't look particularly confident behind the wheel, but he motioned for them to get in. Eren swung himself into the passenger seat, while Mikasa ran around to the back and flung open the doors, dumping Historia inside.

"Drive." she said.

The van took off; the back doors still wide open. Mikasa pulled herself inside and slammed them shut just as they turned a corner. She and Historia were both flung into the side, and they could hear Eren yelling from the front.

"Armin! Have you ever driven before?"

"My grandpa gave me lessons when I was eleven! I wasn't very good, but I still remember most of the instructions. Why, can you drive?"

Eren fell quiet, and it was Mikasa who spoke up in the end.

"Once we put some distance between us and the school, we'll take shifts driving. Eren and I have never driven before, but we'll learn."

Eren gave an angry snort. Mikasa was a notoriously quick learner, and Historia had seen them arguing about it before, on the other side of the dining hall. Eren's voice had been loud enough for most of the hall to hear the fight, but it hadn't done him any favours. He'd managed to pick up the nickname of 'jealous dick', although no one dared to call him that in front of Mikasa.

The next hour was spent in tense silence. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and Eren's loud breathing. Mikasa sat completely still and Historia copied her, not willing to get on the bad side of people who were so calm about murder.

Eventually, her thoughts started becoming more coherent, and one pressing question refused to leave her head.

"Where are we going?" she asked at last.

"South." Armin replied.

She would have asked for a location that was more specific, but she had a feeling that none of them really had an answer.

Another hour passed in silence. Historia looked to her side and realised that Mikasa had fallen asleep. She suddenly became aware of her own fatigue, now that her adrenaline rush had subsided. Her eyes began to droop, and she slouched down against the side of the van.

Just as she was about to drop off, she heard Eren's voice.

"Armin, pull over and let Mikasa drive. You look like you're going to pass out."

Armin murmured something in reply and she heard them shuffling around. The van swerved slightly and the engine cut out. Beside her, Mikasa stood up, almost making Historia jump. She could have sworn Mikasa had been asleep a second ago.

"We need to change our licence plate." Armin said. "Otherwise it'll be easy for them to find us. Also, we're all too young to be driving, so have to avoid being pulled over at all costs."

"Leave the licence plate to me." Eren said, and Historia thought she caught a flash of his knife, but a second later it was gone. He opened the door and slipped out, slamming it behind him. Armin rolled his eyes, while Mikasa muttered something that sounded like "So dramatic."

Armin climbed out of his seat and made his way to the back of the van. He slid down opposite Historia, a friendly smile on his face. Historia didn't buy it for a second. These three were dangerous.

"Hi." he said. "I know this must all be hard to process, but I promise that you're safe with us."

She stared at him and said nothing, letting the silence grow awkward.

"I know Eren can be scary when he gets like that." Armin said at last. "But-"

"'Gets like that.'" she says flatly. "You mean he's killed people before?"

Mikasa was the one who answered her.

"He killed two kidnappers when he was nine. They murdered my parents and were planning on selling me to some paedophile. " She spoke like she was reciting a list of facts. "I killed the third one myself."

Once again, Historia had the strange feeling that she should be concerned by this. All she felt was sleepy.

The silence grew again, and she could practically see the gears turning in Armin's head as he tried to find a topic that could put her at ease.

"You were on the swim team with me, right?"

She nodded.

"What other sport did you do?"

"Horse-riding."

"Oh? You like horses?"

She shrugged. Krista had loved horses, but horses reminded Historia of her childhood. She wasn't sure how she felt about them. Armin was looking at her hopefully, and she struggled to find a way to explain to him that the girl who he'd known for the past year and a half had been nothing more than an act. Krista was a jumble of personality traits designed to make her lovable, someone who would be remembered fondly. Historia was more of a real person than Krista, and Historia was made up of nothing but emptiness and apathy.

"What was your other sport?" she said, hoping he wouldn't notice her lack of an answer. Judging from the look on his face, he had. Armin was incredibly smart; everyone at the school had known it.

"We decided to do karate together." Historia didn't even bother asking who 'we' was. Clearly, the bond between these three ran deep. "While I picked swimming, Mikasa did judo and Eren did rowing."

"Rowing."

"Yep. Apparently he found it soothing."

She didn't bother replying to that, knowing that neither of them would appreciate any less than flattering remark she made about Eren.

The passenger door swung open and Eren clambered in, filling the silence in the car with his loudness.

"New licence plates, front and back." He was grinning, which Historia found disturbing. Historia found nearly everything about Eren disturbing, from the way he killed people to the way he talked. He was just too intense. It was unsettling.

"I'll drive." Mikasa said immediately. "Armin, you can show me the basics, right?"

He nodded and the two of them moved to the front. Historia realized that she had no idea where they were.

"Where are we?" she asked Armin.

"A small village, about an hour south from the town Eren and I were born in."

"So we're not stopping at Shiganshina." Eren said.

"It's not like there's anything left there for us." Mikasa said, and Historia thought she detected some actual emotion in her voice.

The trio exchanged looks that were heavy with significance. Historia didn't understand any of it, but she didn't bother asking. It looked like she would be staying with them for now. Their history was bound to be revealed sooner or later.

One thing was clear. Even if you ignored murdering a teacher, everyone in this van had demons.

She just hoped she could get through this without confronting hers.


	2. Chapter 2

"Armin." Mikasa said quietly.

From the back they could hear Eren's snores, but neither of them knew if Historia was awake or asleep. If he looked back now to check, Armin knew that would make her suspicious and they were trying to avoid that. She would never have their shared history, but there needed to be some semblance of trust between them if Historia was to stay.

He looked over at Mikasa. Her eyes were on the road, and she looked utterly calm. Armin knew her too well though, and her tight grip on the steering wheel gave her away. She'd only learnt to drive two hours ago, and even though she had a natural talent for it (No one was surprised) Armin didn't envy her. He had tried to help her as best he could, but he wasn't exactly proficient in driving.

"Armin." she said again, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Where are we going?"

He didn't know. He honestly had no idea how they were going to avoid being arrested for the rest of their lives. He'd grabbed a change of clothes and some money before stealing the van, but they wouldn't last long. They couldn't get jobs, at least not in this country. They would have to steal everything they needed to survive, something he knew Eren would object to. Eventually, they would have to find a way to leave the country, and become illegal immigrants.

Of course, he didn't tell Mikasa any of this. She and Eren trusted him, and they always had, even when he hadn't trusted himself. They were counting on him, confident that he would find a way, and maybe he would if he was given enough time. For now, he concentrated on short-term survival: Food, water, fuel for the van and putting as much distance between them and Levi's body.

"The ocean." he said at last. "We'll keep heading south until we reach the ocean."

Mikasa nodded, as if what he said had made all the sense in the world. Armin wished that he could give her more, tell her: _This is how we'll get away. This is how we'll be free. This is how we'll be safe._ But he couldn't. Getting to the ocean was the only thing he was certain they must do. After that…

Well, he had a few hours left to figure that out.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

This time she did glance over at him. It was only for a second, but he caught it.

"I'm fine." she said. "I never liked him, and it was to protect Eren. He's dead and Eren is alive, so I don't regret it."

"He was your family." Armin said softly.

"He wasn't." she said firmly. "You and Eren are my family. He was a link to my past, and not a pleasant one."

"But he never knew you were related. Maybe if he had he would have-"

"Treated me differently? He treated me like he treated all his students, and I'm glad of that. Besides, maybe he did know and just didn't want to acknowledge it. What lane should I get in?"

He read the signs and looked down at the map in his hands. On days when he had felt especially homesick, he'd memorized most of the route from the school to Shiganshina. Now that they had passed his hometown, he was glad that they had found a map tucked away in the back of the van.

"Stay in this lane for now. There's a small village just off the next exit. We can stop there to refill and get some food."

Behind them, Eren gave a startled snort, banging his head against the side of the van and knocking himself into consciousness.

"Wuzzgoingon?"

"We'll be stopping shortly to stock up." Armin explained. "Historia, are you awake?"

"Yes."

"Good. I just thought you should both know; we're heading to the ocean."

Eren immediately brightened up, while Historia continued staring at the back doors of the van. Armin was almost certain that she was trying to avoid catching Eren's eye.

_Interesting,_ he thought

"I haven't seen the ocean in years!" Eren said. "Have you ever been, Historia?"

Her head snapped round when he said her name, and Armin watched her reaction closely. She hesitated for a second before answering.

"No. I grew up in a big city in the north. I never left it until I joined the military."

Her voice was flat, but it was a start. Armin now knew two new things about Historia. True, he still didn't know her last name, but progress was progress.

He opened his mouth to ask her something else, when Mikasa made a sharp turn and he was flung across the seats. The map slipped out of his hands as he fell. Mikasa spared a second to glare at him.

"Buckle up." was all she said.

He pushed himself up and fumbled around, looking for the map.

"Did you turn off the motorway?"

She nodded.

"Ok." He checked the map. "You should be able to see the service station on your left in about one minute."

One minute later, they were pulling to a stop in front of a diesel pump. Mikasa opened the door and started getting out.

"Wait!" Eren called. "Do you even have any money?"

Mikasa paused, halfway out the door.

"Do you?" she asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean we can steal! There are innocent people working in that station who could get blamed for our theft!"

"Eren," Armin said gently. "We killed a teacher with who knows how many military honours. The whole country will soon know us only as criminals."

"That doesn't mean we are! Just because they say we're scum doesn't mean we have to prove them right."

Mikasa looked like she was about to argue, so Armin hastily intervened.

"Here!" he shoved his purse at her. "I grabbed this before I left. Use it to pay. But first, I think we should all get changed out of our uniforms."

Mikasa and Eren looked down at their clothes simultaneously, as if only now remembering that they were still wearing them.

"We didn't bring anything with us." Eren said, suddenly realizing the problem.

Luckily, Armin had thought ahead.

"I grabbed some of your clothes before we left, yours too Mikasa."

Armin felt a flush of pride at his own planning skills. It surprised him. It hadn't been that long ago that his self-esteem had practically been at zero. Feeling confident in himself was still a strange sensation.

He grabbed the duffel bag that he'd been using as a footrest and pulled out a tangle of slightly crumpled clothes. Eren and Mikasa reached over to grab theirs, but then they stopped, realizing the dilemma. The three of them were no strangers to changing in front of each other, but they didn't know if Historia would be comfortable with that. She hadn't moved from her spot against the side of the van.

"Um, Historia, I didn't bring your clothes, but you can borrow some of Mikasa's if you want."

She gave a little shrug. "Sure."

Eren took that as all the invitation he needed to begin stripping. He shrugged off his jacket with the school's insignia on it, tossing it in a heap onto the floor of the van. He reached for the bottom of his shirt, but Mikasa slapped his hand away.

"There's no need. They look the same as normal shirts."

She had also taken off her jacket, and replaced it with a red cardigan that matched the scarf she always wore. Armin shrugged off his own jacket, replacing it with one of his vests. God, he'd missed wearing his vests.

Historia still hadn't moved. Armin could see Eren getting impatient, so he grabbed one of Mikasa's jackets and handed it to her. She put it on without protest.

Next came the tricky bit, changing out of their trousers.

"Um, Mikasa, I only brought one pair of your jeans and one pair of your shorts, so…"

"Historia can have the jeans." Mikasa replied instantly, grabbing the shorts from Armin's hands.

She wasted no time tugging down her trousers and pulling on the denim shorts. Historia averted her eyes, but Eren and Armin continued to move around, searching for the right clothes. Eren found his own jeans, while Armin found the black slacks that matched his vest. As Eren began pulling his uniform slacks off, Historia spun right around to face the wall. Armin wondered if she was ever going to change her own outfit, or if they would all need to leave the car.

Mikasa was the fastest to finish changing. She grabbed Armin's purse and stepped outside. Luckily, it was hot enough that she didn't look out of place in shorts. Armin began to follow her, hoping Eren would take the hint and come with them, leaving Historia to change in privacy.

Of course, Eren did not take the hint. Once he was finished he plopped back down on the floor of the van and squinted up at Historia.

"Are you going to stare at the wall all day?"

She turned around. Her face was impassive, but there was a slight flush to her cheeks.

"You don't have to change now if you're not comfortable." Eren went on. "Just don't leave the van until you do."

She stared at him, and Armin slowly slid back into the van, curious about what was going to happen next.

He didn't expect her to slouch down opposite Eren, still staring at him like he was a puzzle with a missing piece.

"I don't understand." she said. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill Levi?"

Her confusion was understandable. When they had first arrived, Eren had made no secret of his admiration for the teacher. Apparently, he was one of the most esteemed military officers of all time. Armin didn't quite understand how he'd ended up teaching maths. Armin had been well aware of his own physical shortcomings, but he had hoped to do well academically. Unfortunately, Levi found a way to make nearly every maths class physical, and his rough manner did nothing to help Armin's feeling of worthlessness. Eren had taken every degrading comment Levi made and used it to fuel his desire to make Levi respect him. Mikasa had taken them and used them to fuel her desire of surpassing Levi one day. Armin, he just added to comments to his already vast list of reasons why he was worthless.

His friends noticed of course, the way he had crumpled in on himself just a little bit every time Levi insulted him. He and Historia were the physically weakest in the year, and so Levi had made it his mission to build them up with tough-love. It didn't work very well, and as the weeks went by Eren's eyes had lost their gleam of hero-worship and Mikasa had grown more protective towards Armin.

It all blew up at the end of their first year, when Mikasa found Armin with a blade in his hand. She'd snatched it from him and thrown it away, and they'd had a very hard talk. They never told anyone about it, not even Eren.

Armin never tried it again, but his confidence didn't grow either. It wasn't all because of Levi. His self-esteem issues had started long before he'd joined the school, but the constant stream of insults didn't exactly help. Armin had internalized it, telling himself that if he couldn't handle it, he wasn't cut out for military school.

By the time Levi tried to strangle Historia in the classroom, Eren's goodwill had disappeared entirely. He hadn't hesitated to jump at Levi, yelling at Armin to run and get Mikasa.

He listened as Eren summarized this to Historia, who seemed no less confused than she had been at the beginning.

Just as Eren finished, the back doors swung open and Mikasa stepped in, dumping various food and water bottles on the ground. Eren eagerly grabbed a drink, downing it in large gulps. Armin realized suddenly that his own throat was dry, and stuck his hand out. Eren tossed a bottle towards him, and he just managed to catch it.

"So," he began after a few sips. "What should-"

He was cut off when a tall, tanned girl leapt into the back of the van.

"Fucking drive!" she yelled, slamming the van doors shut.

Outside, Armin could hear yelling. He had no idea who the girl was but they couldn't afford to get caught up in a fight. He slotted the keys into the engine and pressed hard on the accelerator.

A minute later, they were back on the motorway, the strange girl still flopped on the floor of the van. He took his eyes of the road for a second to look back, and saw that for some reason she was grinning at Historia.

"Sorry about that." she muttered. "Some asshole pastor and a bunch of nuns were preaching about gays all going to hell, so I ran up and kissed one of the nuns on the mouth." She reached into her pocket. "I also stole some of their bagels, if anyone wants one."

In the rear-view mirror, Armin could see everyone staring at the new girl, not quite sure what to make of her.

"Name's Ymir." she said, rolling onto her back and crossing her legs. "So, where are we headed?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Fixed the summary. Also, thanks for the feedback. It really does help.**

He didn't know what to make of the new girl. So far, all Ymir had done was curl up next to Historia and occasionally grin whenever she caught Eren looking at her. Armin and Mikasa were in the front, and Eren got the feeling that they were never going to let him have a go at driving. It was completely unfair. For all they knew Eren could be an amazing driver, maybe he could pick it up faster than Mikasa if they let him try.

Whatever, he had better things to focus on. Namely: making friends with Historia.

Eren could easily admit that he wasn't the best at making friends. He hadn't gotten on very well with a lot of his classmates. He was too loud and driven, one of the few kids who'd enrolled purely out of desire to become a soldier. Most of the kids there had other reasons. Some like Connie had a point to prove, while others wanted the security and power. Even Armin and Mikasa had only joined because it was Eren's dream.

He'd gotten on alright with Marco, but never shared his patriotic enthusiasm. Eren knew that the government could be just as corrupt as common criminals, but he kept those thoughts to himself whenever Marco was around. He did have tact, even if Armin and Mikasa thought otherwise. Connie thought he was funny when he got really passionate about justice and how people were complacent to live surrounded by corruption, and was friendly with him because of that. Everyone else in his year however, either rolled their eyes or made some kind of snide comment that they thought was hilarious and really clever.

Eren didn't pay them any attention. So what if they thought he was naive? He'd seen more shit than most of them, and if it had left him with a huge desire to see all the evil bastards in the world get what's coming to them, who were they to say if he was right or wrong?

The only person besides Armin and Mikasa who'd ever shown an interest in understanding Eren had been an older girl named Annie. She'd been a year ahead of him, and had been forced to help him with close combat training for a few months. It was an exercise that was supposed to teach the second years leadership skills while helping the first years become less alienated. In reality, it was an excuse to goof off. Only a few people like Eren took it seriously. When Annie had tried to walk away, he demanded that they fight. He figured they would be evenly matched. She had more experience, but he was bigger and stronger.

He got his ass handed to him in five seconds flat.

For whatever reason, Annie had been intrigued by him, and they'd started debating the reason behind exercises like this, which led to debating what motivated the students, which led to debating what exactly the teachers were doing at the school. Eren told no one beside Armin about it, but she'd actually brought up a few interesting points he never thought about before. Just how many people joined the army for the power? People like Eren, were they too caught up in their ideals to realize that they were being used as pawns? Was General Pixis too caught up in the notion of thinking outside the box to understand when his ideas were purely idiotic?

A week later, they had their next lesson, and he asked her to teach him how to fight. She agreed, surprising everyone. For the rest of the year she taught him her techniques. They were based off Muay Thai, she'd explained, but she'd adjusted it until it became her own unique style.

After spending summer training in the army facilities, Eren had been excited to see her again. However, when regular classes resumed, Annie was nowhere to be found. None of the students knew what had happened to her, and the teachers refused to tell Eren anything. It was a mystery he'd never solved, despite his best efforts, and he had lost one of the few people he considered a friend.

Now he had a chance to make a new one. Eren had no real opinion about Historia. He'd never really cared about Krista, she'd seemed too fake for his liking. Still, this was practically the same way he'd made friends with Armin and Mikasa. Step one: See person in trouble. Step two: Fight attacker. Hopefully win. Step three: Once they were relatively safe, offer person friendship.

It wasn't like he planned it or anything; it was just a pattern he'd picked up on. He had been trying to get to know Historia better, but then Ymir came along and ruined any progress he'd been making. To be fair, he hadn't really been making much. Historia still seemed like a blank canvas to him.

Ymir caught his eye and nodded towards the uniforms discarded on the floor.

"You guys ran away from the military?"

Eren gave a stiff nod.

"Why, was it too much for you to handle?"

Eren bristled at that.

"Of course not! There was an incident and we had to escape."

Her eyes lingered on the dried blood visible on the sleeve of Eren's jacket.

"An incident. Huh, so you guys are what, fugitives or something?"

Eren clenched his fists, leaning over so he was face to face with Ymir.

"You tell anyone about us, and I'll beat the shit outta you. We clear?"

She laughed loudly, startling Eren backwards.

"C'mon kid, you know I won't tell. We're all criminals here."

"We're not criminals." he stated coldly.

"According to everyone outside this van we are." Historia spoke up, the first thing she'd said since Ymir joined them. She was staring at the dark-skinned girl. Eren thought she looked curious. "What about you? How did you become a criminal?"

Ymir shrugged. "Petty fraud, theft, assault. Basic stuff." She caught Eren's disgusted expression and rolled her eyes. "What? I never claimed to be a good person."

"I just think it's cowardly." he said. "I'm guessing you had a tough life, but to sink to the level of those that wronged you is just pitiful."

"Look, Number one: You know literally nothing about me, so fuck off. Number two: I'm guessing that the reason you four are on the run is because you did something violent and illegal, so I'm not quite sure where your moral high-horse is coming from."

"Mikasa and I killed a man." Eren said. The van swerved suddenly, and for a second they were all thrown into the side. Mikasa quickly regained control, although her hands were squeezing the wheel so hard, Eren thought it would snap. "We killed him, but he deserved it. Did the people you stole from and assaulted deserve it?"

"That's between me and them. Jesus, who knew murderers could be so self-righteous?"

"If you don't want to stay, then go. No one will miss you if you get out of the van right now."

Ymir laughed again. Eren was growing to hate her laugh.

"No way! I want to see the ocean too! Besides, you guys are nuts, but you're more interesting than anyone in the backwater village we left. I'll stick around, it might be fun."

Before Eren could come up with a good retort, Armin spun around to face them. Eren heard Mikasa mutter something to him about seat-belt safety, but Armin continued to smile at them. He was wearing what Eren liked to call his peacemaker smile. It came out every time Eren was too close to fucking something up, which, yeah ok, happened quite often. Some people were annoying idiots, and Eren wasn't great at restraining his desire to tell them that, no matter the cost.

"We're almost there." Armin said.

Now that he wasn't focused on his companions in the back of the van, Eren realised that he could hear more sounds than the soothing hum of driving on the motorway. He recognized voices calling, horns beeping and cars revving.

"Where are we?" he asked Armin.

"We had to take a few detours due to road works and tolls, so we're a bit further east than I planned. It's a town called Vernazza. We've never been here before, so the authorities have no reason to search for us here."

"Vernazza." Ymir said slowly, and Eren resisted the urge to punch her. "Never heard of it before."

"No one asked you." Eren said tightly, and felt satisfied when he saw Ymir scowl.

"Mind if I turn on the radio?" Armin said, and shit, he was using his peaceful voice. Eren knew that that meant Armin_ really_ wanted him to stop talking. Apparently, they were supposed to play nice with the girl who literally just leapt into their van a few hours ago. "I think we could all use some music in here."

Ymir shrugged and Eren nodded. Historia didn't react, but Armin took it as her saying she didn't mind. He flicked on the radio, and the van filled with a song Eren didn't recognize. Ymir apparently did, as she started dancing along, occasionally bumping shoulders with Historia to get her to dance too. She didn't try convincing Eren, so he ignored her as best he could.

The song ended as they turned onto a different street. Eren could hear the sound of waves lapping against the shore, and he felt a burst of excitement. He hadn't been to the ocean since he joined the military, and he'd missed it terribly. But even now, he didn't regret his decision to join. It hadn't gone as planned, but he'd learnt some valuable skills, and his hopes and dreams weren't completely crushed. Becoming a soldier had been the simplest way to follow his dreams, but it wasn't the only way, just the easiest.

"-Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman and Krista Lenz were last seen running through the hallways of the school. Investigators have confirmed that they are no longer on the premises, and have likely escaped with their close friend Armin Arlert. A few hours after the murder, a white van was reported missing, and police believe that the suspects drove away from the crime scene in this van. These four teenagers are extremely dangerous and wanted for questioning about their role in this homicide. We advise anyone with information to come forward immediately. If you see anyone matching the description- Two boys; one brunette, one blond, and two girls; one blonde, one dark haired Asian- please contact the police at once."

A tense silence filled the car, as everyone listened to the announcer's solemn voice.

"Thank you Rico. And now, in football news-"

Mikasa leant over and switched the radio off. The silence filled the car as everyone absorbed what they'd heard. After a minute, Ymir gave a loud sniff, drawing Eren's attention.

"If we get caught, I had no idea about any of this, ok? I won't tell the police anything you've told me, if you pretend that I never knew you were wanted for murder."

"Deal." Armin said quickly before Eren could reply.

"So you're really going to stay?" Eren asked, not quite understanding why Ymir wanted to join their little group.

"Eh, I've got nothing better to do." Ymir said with a shrug. Her eyes flickered down to Historia. "Like I said, you people seem interesting."

The engine stopped suddenly, and Eren looked up.

"We're here." Mikasa said.

Eren grinned, leaping up and attempting to climb into the front. Mikasa reached over and pushed him away, while Armin opened his own door and slipped out to open the van's rear doors. Eren was out in an instant, breathing in the salty sea air. He grinned and grabbed Armin's hand, tugging him down to the shore.

"Eren, hang on! What if people realize who we are?"

"They won't if you stop yelling about it, Armin!"

The beach was small and sandy, and no one was in the water. Some people walked past them, but none of them spared the two teens more than a glance. Most of them were heading towards the pier Eren could see in the distance. There was a lot of noise coming from that area, so he assumed that there was a bigger beach somewhere around there.

"I hope the ocean's warm!" he said, kicking off his boots and socks. Next to him, Armin was doing the same.

Mikasa caught up to them while Eren was rolling up his jeans. She was smiling softly at the two of them. Behind her, Ymir was sitting on the edge of the van, talking to Historia.

Eren grabbed Armin's hand and pulled him towards the ocean, Mikasa following behind them, warning them not to get their clothes soaked. They waded in until they were up to their knees, and Eren marveled at how warm the water was.

"Hey Armin, remember last time when that fish tickled your foot and you fell into the water?"

Armin blushed, but he didn't seem too upset.

"Remember when you almost drowned and Mikasa had to dive under the water and pull you back into your depth?" he retorted.

Eren did in fact remember that, but he liked to pretend it had never happened.

"Dad bought us all ice-cream afterwards." he mused. "It's strange. Four years have gone by, but I can still remember the flavour I got."

"Chocolate." Mikasa said quietly from beside him.

"Chocolate." Eren echoed.

There was a splashing sound from behind them, and they turned to see Historia wading towards them. She'd changed out of her uniform and left Mikasa's jacket with Ymir, who didn't seem too pleased to be minding the van. Historia was wearing one of Mikasa's dresses that she had outgrown, with one of Armin's vests thrown over it. Despite being too small for Mikasa now, the dress fit Historia fairly well. Seeing it brought on another wave of nostalgia for Eren. He remembered simpler times, when he and his father were going to save the world and make Mom proud. For a second, he thought he felt smoke in his lungs, but then Armin was tugging him further into the sea, all hesitation lost now that they were in the water.

Historia stayed behind them, staring out at the sea with an expression Eren didn't recognize. It was her first time seeing the ocean, so maybe she was just awestruck, like he and Armin had been.

He looked at Armin, laughing with his cheeks flushed and blond hair flying in the wind, and felt a surge of affection for his best friend. For four years, Armin and Mikasa had attempted to follow Eren's dream, comfortable in the knowledge that they would also achieve theirs in the process. Now that the plan had failed, maybe it was time to let Armin take the lead.

"What do you think Armin?" he said. "Ready to see the world?"

Armin turned to stare at him in surprise. He'd always been vocal about his dream, but he'd been comfortable following Eren, who'd been completely set on joining the military.

"Eren, are you sure?"

"Of course I am! You know I always wanted to travel the world alongside you. Why not do it now?"

They both turned to look over at Mikasa, who simply nodded, her dark eyes staring out at the sea.

"If you two will be happy, then I'm in."

Sometimes Eren worried about Mikasa. Some days, she seemed to have no desire of her own but to protect Eren and Armin. She did amazingly in anything she set her mind to, but would drop it in an instant if it went against Eren and Armin's happiness. She would sacrifice her place in a major judo contest just to bail Eren out of a fight, or challenge a teacher without the slightest hesitation if they had been picking on Armin.

But whenever Eren found himself worrying, he would remember what she had gone through, and how that had shaped her as a person. He hated when people judged him, because they had no idea what had made him who he was. It was only right that he do the same for Mikasa. Just because he didn't understand her desires didn't make them any less valid.

However, he cared about her a lot, even if he wasn't the most vocal about it. If he could make her happier, he would.

He reached over and tackled her, dragging her into the water and dunking her under. She came up gasping and grabbed at him, trying to get revenge. Instead, she grabbed Armin and accidentally pulled him into the water. Soon a water-fight had begun, and the three of them laughed as they splashed and tugged at each other.

Eren hadn't felt as free as this in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just to clarify a few things. In terms of romance, there won't be much in this story. There may be some romantic Yumikuri, but it won't be a major part of the story. The main focus will be on the Shiganshina Trio and Historia.**

**Secondly, in case people are confused. This story is set in a modern AU with no giant human-eating monsters. It's just not set in America. More about the characters past and how they came to be who they are will be revealed throughout the story.**

**Finally, sorry it took so long to update.**

The water was cool, but the sun warmed her skin as she floated on her back. It had been a while since she had let herself relax like this. Yes, it was very likely that they would all end up in prison soon, but Eren and Armin were safe, and they were happy and they were all together. For now, she was content.

Small waves jostled her, and the turned her head to see Armin swimming next to her. His hair was floating around his face like a golden halo, and his delicate features made him seem almost angelic. She almost laughed at that. Armin may not have blood on his hands like she and Eren did, but he was no angel.

His fingertips brushed hers gently and she rolled forward so she was treading water beside him.

"How long do you think we can stay in the water until we risk catching pneumonia?"

Armin smiled fondly at her. She knew he thought she was worrying too much, but none of them could afford to fall sick. Not when hospitals were currently off-limits to them.

"Armin." she said quietly. "Do you think we actually have a chance?"

He hummed thoughtfully, and for a few seconds they floated in silence.

"We might." he said at last. "If we don't stay in one place for too long, we can keep heading south until we find a way to cross the ocean. It would be best if we stop on the islands but the smaller community means that there's a better chance people will notice us, especially if we turn up on a stolen speedboat or something. So the next best thing would be to cross directly to Africa, but crossing into those waters would be incredibly risky, plus all of us bar Eren would stand out. So honestly? Our chances don't look that good."

She took a minute to process that, before looking at Armin again. The air of relaxation was gone, and he looked pensive and stressed. She reached across to tap his shoulder.

"I have faith in you, and so does Eren. We know you'll come up with the best possible strategy."

Armin took a breath, and dunked his head under the water. When he emerged he looked calmer.

"Right." he said. "For now, let's focus on the small things. It's probably best to get out of the water. The blood should be all washed off, so that's a plus. We need to find a store and get food, bottled water, shampoo and deodorant, also fuel for the van. We'll probably have to shoplift, and we'll need to be careful. We can't do anything that would alert the police to us. But what if there's an easier way? I'm not so sure-"

"Armin." she interjected softly "Breathe. We can get those things, no problem. First things first, let's get back to land."

Armin nodded and started swimming back. Mikasa paused for a second before following. She wondered how long Armin would ignore the obvious: without fake passports there was no way they could travel the world the way he and Eren longed to. They would be lucky if they managed to escape the country.

She looked at Armin again, laughing at Eren's legs as they stuck out of the water, and felt her lips twitch into a fond smile. For now, she wouldn't bring it up. She would try to keep them happy for as long as she could, and when that inevitably failed she would focus on keeping them safe.

They swam towards the beach, until they were next to Eren, who was busy diving underwater.

"Armin! Look, I found a crab!"

"That's great Eren! Bring it out to the beach and we can examine it."

He nodded, a big grin on his face. Then it fell.

"Wait what? We're leaving already? We just got here!"

Mikasa sighed. Armin smiled sheepishly at her and began wading back to the shore.

"Eren," she said flatly. "you can't stay in the water for too long. You know that."

He scowled.

"Cut it out Mikasa. I'm not a kid!"

"Then stop acting like you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh wow, great comeback."

She stared stoically at him. Then slowly, she began to walk towards him, ripples sloshing around her every time she pushed forward. His eyes widened.

"Mikasa don't you dare-"

She scooped him up effortlessly, and balanced him on her shoulder despite his squirming. Ten seconds later she dumped him on the sand in front of Armin.

"Mikasa! You know I hate it when you do that! God, why can't you just-"

"Eren." Armin interrupted. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Eren looked around, then seemed to realize than Ymir and Historia were nowhere in sight. Mikasa had kept careful watch as Historia had gone back to the van. Neither she nor Ymir had left it yet.

"Do we trust them?" Mikasa asked. She had already decided that she didn't, but getting Eren and Armin's opinions wouldn't hurt.

"Nope." Eren replied. "Krista or Historia or whatever her name is has been lying to us since the day we met her, and I've only known Ymir for a few hours and I don't like her."

"We do seem to be stuck with them though." Armin mused. "I don't think it would be smart to just abandon them, not until we know why Levi tried to kill Historia."

"They both already know too much about us." Mikasa added. "If we try to dump them they could alert the police to our location. I'd rather not risk that."

Eren nodded, a frown on his face.

"I agree, but if we're going to do this together we need to trust them and they need to trust us. Armin, any ideas on how to get that to happen?"

Armin's stared at the sand as he concentrated. Mikasa thought she could almost see his thoughts shifting and reforming behind his eyes.

"I have an idea." he said at last. "It's pretty simple, but there's a chance it might not work, and we'll have to give them pretty personal information."

Mikasa looked at Eren. He shrugged. She nodded.

"Whatever you think is best, Armin." Eren said.

That seemed to relax Armin. Mikasa recalled how a year ago, it would have taken a lot more coaxing for Armin to gain any confidence in his own plans. She had always trusted his opinion, even when they were only children, but it had taken a lot of time and a certain incident for Armin to understand that she and Eren valued him and thought of him as an equal.

She brushed the memories aside and focused on the boys standing in front of her. Eren looked confident, standing tall with a self-assured smile. Beside him, Armin didn't look as confident, but his eyes were filled with determination.

"Let's go." he said. "Follow my lead, and try not to antagonize them."

Eren huffed indignantly, and Mikasa tried to hide her smirk.

They made their way back to the van. Armin climbed carefully into the back, and Mikasa and Eren followed him, leaving the doors open. Historia was sitting against the wall and staring into space. Ymir was lying on the floor and staring at Historia.

Mikasa knew she wasn't exactly the most normal of teenagers, but these two were strange even by her standards.

"We ready to move on?" Ymir asked, rolling over so that she could push herself up off the floor.

Armin smiled. Mikasa knew that smile. It was half-fake and half-genuine, the one he used when he didn't actually care about you, but really needed you to do something for him.

"Actually, before we leave, I was thinking that we should have a talk."

Historia looked up at him, clearly wary. Mikasa tensed, wondering if she would bolt.

"What kind of talk." Historia asked flatly.

"The thing is," Armin said. "Eren, Mikasa and I know each other very well, but we don't know either of you. If we're going to be fugitives together I think we need some semblance of trust."

"And how do you suggest we get that trust?" Ymir asked. "Trust falls? Sing-alongs? Hold hands and confess our deepest darkest secrets?"

"I was thinking that we should start with something simple." Armin said calmly. "If we're going on the run, I think we should all know our individual reasons why. Why we're here and what we're hoping to get out of this."

He looked around expectantly, but when there was no reply from Historia or Ymir he swung around to face Eren.

"Eren, why don't you start?"

"Uh, me?" Eren said. "Ok, sure. Well, I kind of killed somebody, and even though I personally think it was justified, I know the government won't see it that way. He was a pretty high ranking guy in the military."

The van was silent again.

"And why do you want to stay with us?" Armin prompted; a hint of panic in his voice. Mikasa could tell that this wasn't working out quite as well as he'd hoped it would.

Eren frowned.

"Because you guys are my family? And I've got a much better chance of not going to jail with you guys around."

"What about your parents?"

Everyone turned to look at Ymir, who shrugged.

"This is what we're supposed to do, right? Ask each other personal questions and shit."

Eren looked ready to fight her, but caught Armin's pleading look.

"My parents are dead." he said shortly. "My mom died when I was ten. A gang called the Titans raided Shiganshina. She was one of the victims."

Mikasa's hand automatically reached up to tug on her scarf, remembering Carla Yeager's warm hands helping her wrap it properly around her.

_"Eren's a good boy, but he's useless when it comes to clothes. You'll have to help him with that when I'm not around, otherwise he'll keep tripping over his shoelaces and never get anywhere."_

She and Armin had finally taught him to tie his shoelaces a week before they were due to head to military school. It had been a frustrating night for all of them, but Eren's proud grin when he finally managed a tight bow had made them all smile.

"My dad died a little while later." Eren continued. "He had… he had an accident in his lab, and the whole place went up in flames. We went to live with Armin's grandfather, and when he died I decided that I wanted to go to military school. I wanted to get strong enough so that one day I could destroy the Titans."

Ymir let out a snort of disbelief at that. Eren scowled, but continued.

"So now that my career in the military is gone up in flames, I'm not entirely sure what's next. I want to travel a lot and see the world, but I don't want to leave the country until the Titans are dead. Either way, my best chance is here with you guys."

Eren finished his story with a shrug, and then slumped down onto the floor of the van. Neither Ymir nor Historia gave any reaction.

"Right then." Armin said brightly. "Mikasa, why don't you go next?"

"My parents are dead." she said bluntly. "The only family I have left is here in this van. I don't really care where we go, as long as we're safe."

They stared at her. She stared back.

"That's it." she said.

That wasn't it, and Armin knew that, but it was all she was willing to give to these complete strangers.

"I guess it's my turn." Armin said. "Like Eren said, my grandfather was the one who raised me, and he died when I was eleven. I've always wanted to see the world, which is what I plan to do now. Like Mikasa said, the only family I have left is in this van."

They all turned to look at Historia. Next to Mikasa, Armin was quiet. If Historia refused to talk this would all have been for nothing.

Historia gave a tired sigh.

"My name is Historia Reiss." she said dully. "My father is a very important man in Sina, and I'm his bastard daughter. He killed my mother and sent me to military school under a false name so that I could die when I got into the real army. I think he planned to stage an accident if I didn't get deployed fast enough. To be honest, I have no idea what I want. If I go to jail he'll probably find a way to kill me, but I don't really think I care. I'm here because you guys sort of dragged me along."

She paused to look around at the shocked faces surrounding her.

"Look, I'm sorry I don't have a better answer, but I really don't know what I'm doing. I've been pretending to be Krista for three years, so I'm not really sure who Historia is anymore."

"That's ok." Armin said softly. "Thank you for sharing that Historia."

Mikasa was still reeling from the news that Rod Reiss's daughter was in their van. Historia hadn't mentioned a first name, but it had to be Rod. A major politician in Sina who somehow managed to keep his life a secret despite his name coming up in nearly every political scandal, he was a mysterious figure that had fingers in nearly every criminal organization Mikasa knew of and still managed to get elected every year. She'd never paid much attention to him, but she'd heard his name enough on the news to understand the kind of man he was.

The dimly lit face of one of her parents murderers flashed through her mind and her fists clenched. Rod Reiss was the kind of man she'd gladly kill, knowing that people everywhere would benefit from it.

Eren was speaking now, his face lit up with earnestness.

"I know you're confused about who you are, but maybe finding yourself is what you'll get out of this." he said. "I've only known you for like a day and a half and your whole life sounds incredibly depressing, but I already like you more than Krista."

Armin winced and Mikasa considered throwing Eren out of the van. To her surprise, Historia gave Eren a genuine smile.

"I don't think I ever really cared about you, but Krista was supposed to like everyone so I'm not sure."

Eren smiled back, and for a moment the tension left the van. Mikasa listened to the sound of the waves, and imagined them stealing a boat and sailing away, living their lives traveling the ocean. She wanted to imagine it as a peaceful life, but she knew that it would be anything but.

"Ok then," Ymir said, breaking the silence "I guess it's my turn. Um… I don't have a family and I couldn't afford to leave that town. So when you four showed up I just kind of went with it. So far this is kind of cool, so I guess I'll stick with it for now, but I'm not sure if I'm here permanently. I don't really have, like, a specific goal or dream, but you four are weird and I think it's funny, so I'm in."

Honestly her speech was a lot less abrasive then Mikasa had predicted, and the boys seemed surprised too.

"So," Armin said "now that we know a bit more about each other, I think it's time to explain where we're going next."

He reached into the front of the van and grabbed the map lying on the passenger seat. He unfurled it on the floor, and the others crowded around him. Even Historia looked intrigued.

"So obviously, we need to leave the country and we can't do that by plane. We could drive north through the mountains but I'm not that confident in my driving skills, and I'm fairly certain the police will expect us to have fled north. It's the easiest way to leave the country."

"But we're not taking the easy way." Ymir said with a grin.

"No we are not. We have a few options. He pointed to a spot on the map close enough to the town they were currently in. We could travel south and try to find a way onto this small island. From there we could sail to this island, which is owned by France. We could then try to get to France, and continue travelling west, through Spain, Portugal, maybe even down to Morocco."

"Or," he pointed further south. "We could keep travelling along the coast until we reach the bottom, then cross over onto Sicily and then try to cross over to Tunisia. These waters would certainly be more dangerous, but the voyage would be quicker than the one to France."

"Our third option" he pointed east. "Is to travel southeast and try to cross over to Albania. Seeing as we can't use our passports, all of these options will probably involve stealing a boat and crossing the sea with no protection. It's all very risky, but if we stay here sooner or later we will get caught."

They studied the map. Mikasa scanned the three routes Armin had pointed out. The third one appealed to her the most, seeing as it would involve the least amount of time on water. Eren could row a boat, and Armin and Historia were competent swimmers, but none of them were skilled at sailing.

"Whichever one we choose, we need to head south anyway, right Armin?" she asked.

He nodded, fingers tapping softly against the map.

"So let's get out of here first. We can discuss the options as we drive."

"Do we all get a say in this?" Ymir asked.

Eren nodded.

"If you plan on coming with us, then yes. But no one is hunting for you, so why would you risk being caught by travelling illegally?"

"Eh," Ymir shrugged. "I don't have any money on me, and I left my passport behind, so I might as well come with you."

Mikasa slid into the front seat, and let Armin fiddle his screwdriver until the car's engine started. She noticed Eren scowling in the back and rolled her eyes.

"Fine." she said. "You can drive. Try not to blow us all up."

"You're faith in me is truly inspiring." Eren muttered as they switched places.

She settled down in the back, aware that Historia was staring at her. She didn't let it unsettle her. Once upon a time, her eyes had been as dead as those in the girl sitting next to her. Eren had saved her then, given her a spark of hope that had become the warmth of a family. Her family. Maybe someone would be able to do the same for Historia.

She listened as Eren and Armin bickered in the front. Armin was trying to show Eren the basics of driving, and it was clear his patience was wearing thin.

"Just release the clutch and press the accelerator. It's not that hard!"

"What about the gear-stick thingy? God, why couldn't you have stolen an automatic van?"

"Eren just do it!"

She smiled as the car revved, jolted forward and then revved again.

"Shut up Mikasa!" Eren called back, turning her smile into a full-blown smirk.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"I could feel you laughing at me with your mind. It's my first time driving, ok?"

"Whatever you say Eren."

"Ugh, you know what-"

"Eren!" Armin snapped "Concentrate!"

As the car finally started to reverse out of where it was parked, and the bickering faded into background noise, Mikasa let her eyes close and her head fall back against the side of the van. Their chances were no better than when they had arrived at the beach, yet somehow Mikasa felt more hopeful then she had an hour ago.

Maybe, just maybe, they could make it.


End file.
